My question is about the Writer's Workshops provided by this site. I submitted my name and I was wondering if any of the folks who are active in the forums belong to a Work Group? If you do, for how long and do you find it useful?
Posted by Brinestone (Member # 747) on :
I am a part of a group. I find it helpful...I think it was 6-8 weeks before I heard back and was able to actually join a group. Keep in mind that every group is different and will work differently. Good luck in finding one that works for you!
Posted by Cosmi (Member # 1252) on :
{sigh} i've belonged to two writers groups (not at the same time) and both have fizzled out. still, they can be very helpful. i'll probably try again, but not at the moment. school and life are keeping me pretty busy. i want to develop some of my stuff more first.
TTFN & lol
Cosmi
Posted by srhowen (Member # 462) on :
I went through three groups, then went a year as part of Group 6. After the year, the group still goes on outside hatrack.
Helpfull, if you get a good one, they are very useful.
Shawn
Posted by Tanglier (Member # 1313) on :
I've been part of two groups that just sort of stopped.
I would like to be in another, but I don't need another round of flakes.
Posted by Shadow-x (Member # 1536) on :
Tanglier, check out the "writing writing writing" post. Why don't you join us? It'll be kind of like an informal group, and no wait involve.
Posted by Doc Brown (Member # 1118) on :
Through this board, Kathleen put me in an active group that's been a wonderful help to my writing. My first group fell apart except for me and one other member and Kathleen moved the two survivors into a different group. So in a way it's my second group.
Writing is a lot of work, and it's hard to keep up with a group. Thus the attrition rate is high. But for those who can stick with it, a writer's group is a great thing.
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
Tanglier I hope you give it another try. I am ready to commit to the full year and beyond if it is helpful to me. Why not put your name in again and see how it goes?
Posted by HopeSprings (Member # 1533) on :
Figuring 3rd time around is the charm, I submitted my name again two weeks ago.
I would like to know how other folks were able to make their groups work?
Both of my last two groups barely completed a first round.
And I really don't want to play mommy and chase after writers to submit their work and then their critique on time.
Any suggestions?
Posted by HopeSprings (Member # 1533) on :
Plus, I have another question. While I want to grow my skills in fiction writing, I also want to work on some non-fiction/essay type writing.
Are there other forums that anyone know of that deal specifically with those issues as well?
Thanks!
Posted by HopeSprings (Member # 1533) on :
Well, son of a gun. Read the next thread and find a few answers - for anyone with similar questions as mine, go to the "Who's complaining" thread -
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
Hope, I am also waiting to be put in a group...can't be too much longer to wait As I read in the responses to this thread it can take a few misses before you get a hit. But when you get a good one it can be very beneficial. I e-mailed Kathleen and asked how long it might take and I never got an answer. I havent seen any posts by her in about a week. Perhaps she is taking a holiday. At least we know there are two of us on the list.
Posted by Hildy9595 (Member # 1489) on :
There is another alternative, also from Kathleen. The SFFW offers a list of writers, their interests, their backgrounds, etc. to its members. Each indicates what they are willing to critique -- short fiction, novels (aka The Long Writers), etc. You contact whomever you are interested in directly (contact info is provided).
I was contacted by a published novelist, and she and I have been exchanging chunks of our books for months now. It's been a really great help and we make our own schedule, which works out well. If you are interested, let Kathleen know or check out www.sffw.com for more info.
Good luck and keep writing!
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
I tried the link you provided and it doesnt work. I went to the site from a link on Kathleen's homepage and it only provides links to members web sites, newsletter, etc.. Is that what you mean? I didnt see anything about critique. The link I was looking at is www.burgoyne.com/pages/workshop
Posted by Hildy9595 (Member # 1489) on :
My apologies...I could have sworn that was the link! But the one you listed is correct. What I did is join (free, like Hatrack), and then received the newsletter and roster. It was through the roster that I could contact another member for mutual critiques.
Sorry for the confusion.
[This message has been edited by Hildy9595 (edited December 18, 2002).]
Haven't been on holiday (sad to say), just overwhelmed by other things (especially the holidays).
I must apologize to those of you who have signed up for a group and haven't been placed in one yet.
I've found that groups that don't get off to a good, solid start have an even higher chance of fizzling than groups that do start off well. Depressing, I know. <sigh!>
The holiday season is particularly hard on groups because people just aren't able to give their groups the kinds of starts they need.
So--I won't be starting any groups until after the first of the year.
I'm hoping that things like New Year's resolutions and such will help people to be gung-ho enough to really get their groups off to a great start and develop the kind of momentum that will keep them going.
I'm also hoping that this will give those people who don't have anything ready to be critiqued by a group time to get something ready. (We used to have groups with people in them who didn't have stuff ready for feedback, and those groups fizzled especially quickly--which is why we ask that people have something to be critiqued before we put them in a group.)
I hope all of that makes sense....
Anyway, I wish you all happy holidays and a new year full of great writing.
Kathleen
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
By the way, the correct URL for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Workshop (my other endeavor in the writing workshop area, and the reason OSC asked me to do Hatrack) is, as Marianne said,
where you can download the latest issue of the newsletter (it's a monthly), and where you can follow links to either sign up to receive the newsletter or join SFFW (and be able to contact other members for critiques).
I see that Marianne found the link to join. (If you have any suggestions on how I can make it easier to find, please email me.)
Thanks for mentioning it, Hildy. I guess I'm too cheap to pay for the sffw.com domain name (but at least the newsletter is free).
Posted by JP Carney (Member # 894) on :
Wow, it's been ages since I've been here. Anyway, Kathleen, I know a place you can register a domain for $10/year - cheaper than most you'll find out there ($30 and up). If you're interested some day, let me know.
JP
Posted by TJ (Member # 1558) on :
I joined a writer's group here at Hatrack, fueled with just a little trepidation. Our group works quite well, and I believe it's mostly because we can be honest about each other's writing. I've had group members tell me what's wrong with what I've written in very devastating terms, and I've done the same for them. But honesty is hard work.
I've belonged to several groups which met at a local "spot" and had troubles because of egos and being overly polite and gentle with others' feelings. The internet works wonders in overcoming this. It's impersonal, the same way submitting to an editor or publisher is. You don't hear the story, you read it, the same way a reader will. If you can tolerate the lack of human contact, and have the hide to tolerate the slings and arrows, you can get some truly valuable help.
Outside of writer's groups, I've found very few people who can help. They can tell you what they like, but they can't tell you where what you've written falls short.
Posted by TaxiDad (Member # 1723) on :
Could I ask a stupid question about the workshops?
I don't want to sound paranoid or fecetious or mistrustful, and I surely don't want to offend anyone, but the way the workshops work, wouldn't one worry about having his or her ideas 'borrowed' by another group member? I know you are all probably really honest people who would never do that, but I just need to know. I have a history of having my ideas plagiarized.
Posted by Survivor (Member # 213) on :
This is probably a port from the Motivation discussion, but probably the best thing about a regular group is the fact that it forces you to write (and read). It can help with your narrative, particularly in letting you know when you're being too obscure. But mosty I think it's good because you write.
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
Look at the 1000 ideas thread. So far I know of 3 stories that are being done from the simple ideas we started with. I doubt any of them will be the same. I'm sure mine will be quite different once its finished differing from the others. I have kept myself from reading them till I get mine done. I do this so their ideas don't influence my ongoing process of what I'm writing...but from initial concept there should be different stories from each person but all rooted from the same concept.
Besides I have found that the plot does somewhat change as the story is written. (at least for me it does) So even if you intend on a certain idea, it could drasticly change as you actually write it. So I don't really worry about it, since at this moment I have allot of ideas, just have to write them all.
[This message has been edited by Lord Darkstorm (edited August 13, 2003).]
Posted by MaryRobinette (Member # 1680) on :
I joined two groups through this site. The first one fizzled after a couple of rounds. The one I'm in now is going strong. We had one member drop out, but the rest of us are still at it. It's been great. We tend to do all our critiquing via e-mail rather than using the forum.
Posted by TaxiDad (Member # 1723) on :
Thanks for your replies. I would like to try a group, but I don't know if I would be able to commit to a chapter a week. I have 4 kids, 3 of which start school next week, along with extra-curricular activities, and I am the sole driver.
Is the writing requirement set in stone, or can I fudge a little?
Posted by Marianne (Member # 1546) on :
Each group is free to set their own guidelines. Our group, which started in January, finds a less structured format fits our needs. Each one of us submits something at least once a month, more often if we are on a roll. Just mention in your profile what you need and Kathleen will find the right group for you.
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
What we recommend for Hatrack groups is that people take turns, so if there are six people in your group, you have a turn every six weeks (if the schedule the group decides on is once a week) and you would only need to produce a chapter or story that often.
We try to keep the groups between four and six members in size.
If everyone in a group were required to submit something to the group every week, then each member of the group would have to read and respond to as much as five other pieces (one from each of the other five members in a six-member group) every week, as well as produce something for the next week.
So far, no group has had people in it with that much time available to them.
